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My hols: Conn Iggulden

The author toured Mongolia, but prefers to eat and sleep in Minori

I'd like to tell you I've had some incredibly adventurous, dangerous and reckless holidays, but the reality is they've all been fairly tame.

My most gung-ho trip was to Mongolia, just after I began writing about Genghis Khan. I started the book and realised I had no idea what the country was like. When I got there, I discovered it looked very similar to the Brecon Beacons and the countryside felt very familiar, but the culture was completely alien.

I had a vague notion that I'd arrive, negotiate my way round the capital, Ulan Bator, then find a horse and ride across the country. In reality, with no grasp of the language and no idea how things worked, it took me a long time to get myself sorted. Eventually, I found a guide and a horse, and we set out away from the safety net of civilisation.